Begin Again
by swrites
Summary: After 12 years, Bella is back in Forks for her senior year of high school. Nobody can seem to let her forget about the fire that took her mother's life all those years ago until she meets Edward Cullen, a senior that she's drawn to for all the wrong reasons. All human.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

 **Bella**

Bella panicked as she stared at the screen on her phone and watched as the seconds ticked dangerously close to zero. The moment she dreaded finally came as it burst into the most obnoxious arrangement of beeping noises (anything less and she would've slept right through it had it not been for her nerves), notifying her that she had precisely thirty minutes before she had to go to school. She groaned as she tapped the "silence" button, sinking further into her bed and pulling the blankets over her head. Bella had been in Forks no more than a week and already it was the start of her senior year at her new school. It was bad enough having to be labeled as the "new girl", but it was even worse that she was a senior this year. Plus, the last anyone in Forks saw of Bella, she was being shipped off to a relative after she lost her mother in the fire.

She slid out of bed, leaving her blankets in a heap on the floor as she walked over to her mirror. She didn't look any different since leaving Phoenix besides the dark circles under her eyes that her porcelain skin only emphasized. She never had to stress about losing a tan that the Arizona sun was sure to provide since her pale skin refused to do anything but turn an obnoxious shade of tomato red. She quickly ran a comb through the mass of tangles that was her hair until it fell in waves down her back. After brushing her teeth she walked over to her closet, haphazardly throwing on a pair of her favorite ripped jeans, a v-neck shirt, and an old pair of Converse. She looked once more at herself in the mirror, letting out a deep breath.

"This is about as good as it's going to get," she thought.

Rushing downstairs, she was almost grateful for running late because it meant she wasn't obligated to hold a proper conversation with Charlie. A pang of guilt stabbed at her, but she quickly brushed it away telling herself it was probably how almost anyone would react given her situation. There was a time when the Swan's had a "normal" family dynamic, but that was quickly shut down after the electrical fire left Bella motherless and ,in a sense, fatherless as well. Charlie was once a dedicated father and model citizen as Fork's Chief of Police, but after the fire took Renee from them he was never the same. He spiraled out of control into a fit depression and turned to alcohol to make it through any moment he wasn't at the station working. Five year old Bella was oftentimes left to fend for herself as her dad lay unconscious in the living room. It was not long after that her Aunt Helen in Phoenix took her in, leaving her father to cope with the loss the only way he knew how. It wasn't til the last couple of months that Charlie got back in contact with Bella, promising that he had gotten the help he needed and that he wanted to be the father that he should've been all those years ago. So after months of convincing here she is, 12 years after the incident, back in Forks. She would've preferred the grey, overcast Washington sky over the blazing hot Arizona heat had it not been for the looks people around town gave her. Bella learned quickly over the past week that maybe it was better to suffer boredom in her bedroom rather than risk awkward glances around town.

"I almost thought you weren't gonna make it downstairs," Charlie chuckled, looking up at Bella as she made it to the foot of the stairs.

"Yeah, I guess I just didn't hear my alarm." She lied, knowing well enough her nerves woke her up long before her alarm went off.

"I've got to get down to the station, I can take you to school if you-"

"No, I'll make it just fine you don't have to worry about it," she mumbled, holding her keys up as some form of half-assed explanation. Charlie had bought her an old beat up truck as a welcome home present. Maybe it was his way of asking for forgiveness, but Bella wasn't interested in going there with her father. Her way of coping was to pretend it didn't happen.

Forks High was a small school, but with the town population at a whopping 3,500 there wasn't many high school students to accommodate, at least not in comparison to Bella's school back in Phoenix. Her heart continued to race as she pulled up to the high school parking lot. Her dully colored, orange truck didn't exactly blend in as it practically roared through the parking lot; she noticed that everyone seemed to take a second glance at who was in the truck, it was obvious that a new student wasn't a common thing in this town.

Bella parked her truck as the bell rang and hurriedly collected her books before rushing toward the front doors. She inwardly panicked as she realized everyone would probably be at their desks before she would have a chance to find her first period class. Skimming over her schedule she read that she had English for first period and followed the hallway signs to the appropriate number room. "Thank God," she thought to herself. English was the most tolerable class for Bella since she enjoyed reading a good book or two in her free time.

The hallways quieted down as the last of the students went to their designated classes, which allowed Bella to focus more on the signs by the doors. If her schedule was correct then she was standing outside of her English class. Hesitantly she opened the door, preparing herself for the stares that are sure to follow when anyone arrives to class late, especially if it's a new face.

"Well, look who decided to show up! I am ," the short, stringy haired woman started, "and judging by your horrified expression, you must be Bella Swan, no?"

"Uh yes" Bella stuttered, "sorry I'm-"

"Anywho, sit anywhere you like we were just getting started!" Ms. Greene interrupted, clearly anxious to get on with the curriculum.

Bella scanned the room, avoiding any and all glances that went her way and spotted a seat towards the back. Perfect. Lowering down into her desk, she brought out a notebook and pen in order to take down some notes.

"Swan, huh?" Bella heard a faint whisper from the desk next to her, "Like the Chief's daughter?"

Bella looked toward the direction the voice was coming from, her gaze landing on a noticeably small, but pretty girl. She had dark brown hair styled in a girly pixie cut and curious, hazel eyes. Her perfectly plucked brows were raised, awaiting Bella's answer, "Yeah, that's me,

Bella smiled awkwardly, "how did you know?"

"I'm sure the whole town knows by now," she continued, "it's a small, lonely place here. Word travels fast, it's kind of pathetic actually." She chuckled under her breath. "Considering what happened with your family, I'm surprised-"

"Ms. Cullen, may I continue reviewing the syllabus or would you like to take over?" Ms. Greene interrupted, appearing frustrated at this point with all the interruptions first thing in the morning.

The girl simply rolled her eyes and took that as her cue to continue with the lesson.

Bella let out a breath, thankful for avoiding an uncomfortable conversation.

"I'm Alice, by the way" the girl whispered, "Alice Cullen."

Bella simply smiled at her, not wanting to give a hernia on the first day of class with all the distractions.

English that day was a blur . She did not write down a single thing from 's lecture as it was simply a review of the syllabus and the books they were going to read throughout the year. The rest of Bella's classes went on similarly; syllabus review and what to expect this next year. "As seniors it was time to buckle down and get ready for college and the next steps in life", she heard repeated an exhausting amount of times by almost every teacher, though Bella honestly hadn't put too much thought into her future. She liked to think of herself as a "survive day by day" kind of girl. It's what worked for her.

At the sound of the final bell for the day, Bella made her way to the truck. The sooner she could get out of this place the better. Forks High was much smaller compared to her school in Phoenix, but the side glances and whispers that followed her all day made a single day here seem more overwhelming than an entire year in Phoenix. It was almost as if people were afraid to talk to her, besides Alice from her first period class. Though Bella often preferred being alone, she secretly hoped that her last year of high school would be more eventful than the prior years.

Bella picked up her pace after spotting her truck in the parking lot, anxious to get out of the cold.

"Bella!" she heard a faint shout and turned towards the voice, half dreading the conversation that was about to ensue. Bella stopped in her tracks and plastered on what she hoped was a smile.

"Hey Alice," she started.

"I didn't see much of you today, not even at lunch," Alice huffed, seemingly disappointed at Bella's lack of social skills.

"Sorry I didn't know you were looking for me," she confessed.

"Not necessarily," Alice replied, "but there's this thing at my house tonight, my brothers are throwing a party. You should come"

Excuses started to run through Bella's mind immediately. Evading social gatherings was her specialty after all, and today was far too exhausting to even think about enduring it all over again.

"Oh, I don't really know if I can" Bella stumbled over what she thought was a rehearsed line she had mastered, "with it being the first day of school and all..."

"Even more reason to come!" she interjected, "just stop by for a little bit, it will be fun, I promise."

"Ok, I'll try" Bella lied, putting on a (hopefully) convincing smile.

After a quick exchange of numbers, Bella continued to her car. "[i]Just great,[/i]" she thought to herself. She somehow got suckered into going to a party and the first day of school was barely over. Scenarios of "accidentally" forgetting about it rushed through her mind along with any other excuse she could possibly think of. Alice's brothers were throwing the party? Bella couldn't remember seeing or hearing anything about her having siblings, but it's not like she took the time to really observe her surroundings at Forks High.

She started the truck, ignoring the glances that went her way when the engine roared to life and drove home. She still had a couple more hours to herself before Charlie got home from the station and she fully intended on making the most of it.

Bella mustered up whatever energy she had left and took the stairs up to her room two at a time, finally collapsing on her bed and sighing in relief. Unlocking her phone, she read the texts she received from her Aunt Helen.

 _Today's the big day!_

 _How are classes going?_

 _Are you enjoying Forks?_

She locked her phone and tossed it to the side, she would think of a proper response to her aunt soon. For now, she was only interested in resting her eyes and enjoying the quietness in the house.

Her complete exhaustion would have kept her asleep had it not been for her phone going off, notifying her of a text message. Reluctantly, Bella reached for her phone, shocked to see that it was already 7pm. It was Alice's text that woke her up.

 _Hey where are you?!_

Bella turned her lamp on, listening for Charlie downstairs. Sure enough, she heard the TV and the occasional commentary coming from her father. He had most likely been home for a couple of hours at this point, but Bella had been too deep in sleep to have heard him coming into the house. Maybe stopping by Alice's place wasn't too bad of an idea after all, it couldn't hurt to avoid an awkward conversation with Charlie. She stumbled towards the door, still feeling drowsy from her nap. Her father looked up from the TV at the sound of Bella walking down the stairs.

"Long day at school?" Charlie guessed, "I saw you were sleeping and didn't want to wake you, but dinner is on the counter."

"Thank you, but I was actually going to go to a friend's house" she admitted, not sure of whether she should ask for permission.

"That's my Bells, already making friends"

"Yeah," Bella smiled, uncomfortable, " I should get going, don't worry about waiting up for me."

She closed the door behind her, relieved to get some fresh air. It had stopped raining sometime while she was sleeping and it was a nice night besides a cool breeze that gave her goosebumps. She would feel too awkward having to walk back inside to grab a sweater so she opted to tough it out, rushing to her car and immediately turning the heater on. She scrolled through her texts from Alice, searching for the one that had her address and used the GPS on her phone to help lead her in the right direction.

Alice's house was right off the main road, down a winding path that seemed to lead deeper into the forest. It was eerie at night, but Bella was sure it was beautiful during the daylight hours. She heard the faint thrum of music before she saw the house and knew she was headed the right way. The forest was suddenly lit up with various twinkle lights surrounding an immaculate house. Something this big seemed so out of place in a town like Forks, and suddenly Bella was overcome with nerves once again.

Bella removed the key, enjoying the solitude inside the truck just a minute longer.

 _I'm here_

Bella sent the text to Alice, stepping out the car and walking towards the front door, dodging a couple of stumbling teenagers.

 _"Here goes nothing,"_ she thought to herself.

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 **The next chapter is in Edward's POV, expect it within the next couple of days! Hope you enjoyed**


	2. Chapter 2

**Just a warning, Edward is just a tad bit more inappropriate than Bella, so I just wanted to let you guys know! This is rated T, but I figured it couldn't hurt to mention it.**

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 **Chapter Two**

 **Edward**

Edward tilted his head back, downing the last bit of scotch and setting his glass onto the mahogany table beside him. Alice had, once again, outdone herself planning and organizing everything from the music to the decorations. The beginning of the school year was the perfect time for a party since their parents always took a week-long trip to a destination of his mother's choice.

The upbeat music resonated throughout the lower level of the house, but was nothing except a distant hum in the isolation of his father's office; Edward enjoyed the solitude during parties like this, especially since the good liquor was kept there. Interruptions were minimal besides the occasional couple stumbling through the doors in hopes of finding a private space to hook up.

Edward heard the door shut behind him, but didn't bother turning around. The sound of heels on hardwood echoed throughout the room, getting closer and closer to him. Turning around, he was greeted by a drunk Jessica Stanley. Ever since the Cullens moved to Forks four years ago she had been persistent in her pursuit of Edward. He would've been much more annoyed with her disturbance had it not been for all the scotch in his system.

"There you are." She slurred, a smile creeping on her lipstick smeared face. "What are you doing alone up here, don't you want to come down and party with me?"

"It looks like you were doing just fine without me," Edward replied, taking in her overall appearance and trying to contain his laughter. Her lipstick had somehow smeared to the side of her face, mascara was running down her eyes, and her hair was a rat's nest at this point.

"Hmm, better yet…" she whispered, closing the distance between them and running her hands up his torso, "why don't we party up here?" She looked up at him with an expression he assumed was supposed to come off as seductive.

"We've gone through this before," Edward placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her in place as he created some space between the both of them. He's had his fair share of women throughout his high school career, but was nowhere near interested in getting involved with Jessica Stanley.

"Just let me show you," she whispered, holding his waist as she lowered herself to her knees in front of him, "what you're missing."

"Edward! There you are," Alice burst into the room, startling Jessica so much she lost her balance and fell on her ass.

"Oh shit," Alice burst into giggles, covering her mouth with her hand, "I didn't know I was interrupting anything." She looked down at Jessica who was clearly not happy.

"You didn't interrupt anything," he stated, "I was just telling Jessica to go enjoy the rest of the party."

Jessica grunted, clumsily getting back onto her feet and straightening her dress before shoving her way through the door. Alice and Edward exchanged amused glances, knowing well enough that even this wouldn't stop the poor girl from trying to get with get with him in the future. She just needed a night to heal her ego.

With the scene Jessica made, Edward hadn't noticed the girl standing beside Alice. Taking her in, he wondered how he missed her in the first place. She was just a couple of inches taller than Alice with a slim figure that made it hard for his mind not to wander and full, pouty lips turned up in an uncomfortable smile. He wondered if the expression on her face was because of what she had seen Jessica doing or if it was because he was staring too long.

"Oh right!" Alice clasped her hands together, gleaming. "I want you to meet my new friend, Bella. She just moved here from Arizona" Alice wagged her eyebrows expectantly at Edward in an obnoxious, Alice-like fashion.

The contrast between their emotions was almost humorous; While Alice looked like she could burst with excitement, Bella appeared to be mortified by the entire situation. His sister's intentions were almost always pure, but he knew she could easily come off a bit strong towards anyone she showed interest in.

He introduced himself, taking Bella's hand in his; Her skin was soft and he couldn't help but wonder what the rest of her body felt like. Edward cleared his throat, trying to conceal the effect that she had on him. He couldn't remember the last time his physical desire for someone seemed to be stronger on his end than on theirs. It was known around school that he wasn't the kind of guy to commit to anything beyond sex, but it never seemed to change the effect that he had on women.

"You look like you need a drink," Edward grinned, trying summon any charm he had at that moment, not knowing whether he was looking like a drunk idiot instead.

"I'd like that," Bella looked from Alice to Edward, her smile starting to look a little more genuine.

His sister took Bella by the arm, leading her to a leather sofa at the far end of the room while Edward poured scotch into three glasses. The sound of shouting teenagers and shattering glass drowned out the music downstairs, causing Alice's mood to immediately shift to annoyance as she stood up and stormed out of the room.

"I bet it's the fucking Newton kid again," Edward heard her mumbling as she slammed the door on the way out, leaving him and Bella alone.

"Alice takes the destruction of her party décor as a personal insult." Edward laughed, handing Bella her glass and watching in shock as she downed it in one gulp.

"Sorry," she started, "it's been a long day."

She leaned towards the coffee table in front of the couch, reaching for Alice's glass of scotch and began to sip on it.

Edward's eyes trailed along the base of her neck down to her exposed collar bone, imagining how good it would feel to run his lips across. Not wanting to make an even bigger ass of himself, he avoided drinking anymore of his scotch. It had caused him enough trouble for tonight.

"It's only the first day of classes and this place is already leading you down the path of alcoholism?" He laughed trying to lighten the mood.

"I have been here a week and already I'm questioning my sanity," she sighed, eyeballing Edward's glass, "are you going to drink that?"

Edward bit his lip, trying to hold back his grin as he took a seat in the upholstered chair across from Bella.

"Have it, there's plenty."

"I didn't see you anywhere at school today," Bella furrowed her brows, "I think I would've definitely noticed someone like you."

Bella covered her mouth, looking towards Edward as if questioning whether he heard her or not and burst into giggles.

"It's the scotch talking, I swear."

"Happens to the best of us," he smirked in her direction, "at least we aren't Mike Newton. Poor guy had to endure Alice's wrath."

Bella burst into another fit of laughter, "Shit I forgot about Alice, I should probably go find her."

Edward watched with amusement as she grasped the arm of the sofa for support, attempting to stand up without stumbling. He got up from his chair and walked over to the sofa, no longer feeling anything but a light buzz and held his hand out, offering Bella some help. He held her hand, pulling Bella up to her feet. Once again, he noticed the smoothness of her skin.

"Thanks," she said, looking shyly up at him.

The atmosphere in the room had gone from light and carefree to silent, and the dimness of the office along with their close proximity seemed to electrify the space around them. He took another step towards her, closing the distance between them as he brushed a lock of hair away from her face, trailing his fingers down her neck and along her shoulder. He felt goosebumps rise on her arms as their skin touched. Their eyes met as he cupped both sides of her face between his hands and he leaned forward, no longer able to resist.

"I'm sorry," she stammered, taking a step away from him and rushing towards the door.

"Bella! Wait I'm sorry," He called out for her before she closed the door, leaving him in the dim office alone.

" _What the fuck was I thinking?"_ He thought to himself as he fell backwards onto the couch. He rubbed the sides of his temples in frustration, wondering how many times in one night he could make himself look like an ass hole. This was the first time he met Bella and already he was scaring her off, coming on too strong and probably looking like a creep in the process. He never had to worry about rejection or whether he was moving too fast up until now. The way Jessica had acted towards him earlier that evening had been just a slightly amplified version of how other girls acted towards him.

He closed his eyes, trying not to replay the disaster that he just created. He could fix this tomorrow when the both of them have no alcohol in their system, which gave Edward a bit more reassurance that he didn't _completely_ mess up his shot with Bella.

"What the _fuck_ did you do?" Alice burst through the door, looking surprisingly intimidating for her size. He would never admit that, of course.

"What do you mean?" Edward opted to act clueless, wondering if Bella had told her what happened.

She glared at Edward suspiciously, "You tell me! I was downstairs, _trying_ to enjoy this great party I organized, when I saw Bella rushing out the front door. She didn't even look back."

"Minor miscommunication. Nothing that I can't fix tomorrow."

"Right, well almost everyone is gone besides a couple kids passed out in the living room," Alice looked up smugly, "besides your little screw up, I'd say tonight was a success."

Edward rolled his eyes, walking out of the office and heading down the hall towards his bedroom. He didn't worry about the mess he knew was downstairs since the maid service stopped by every morning while everyone was at school or work. He'd be sure to leave them a good tip like he usually did when they had to clean up after a party.

Laying in bed, he replayed the events of the night and wondered where he went wrong. While it did no good stressing over what was already done, he didn't understand what he did to scare Bella off. Their feelings seemed mutual up until he leaned in to kiss her.

He turned over on his side and looked out the window, trying to make out the outlines of the evergreen tress that surrounded his house. Edward assured himself that tomorrow he could apologize to Bella and hopefully start on new terms, but until then, he attempted to sleep off the rest of his buzz so he could start the day next day with a clean slate.

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 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know it was posted later than expected, but I've already started working on chapter 3 to make up for it!**

 **-Sydnie**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok guys as promised I've written the next chapter sooner to make up for the previous one being posted later than expected! Enjoyyy :)**

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 **Chapter Three**

 **Bella**

Bella covered her eyes with both hands, wishing she had gotten drunk enough to forget the events of the night before. Maybe it would've made getting ready for school less nerve wracking. She had barely known Alice for a full 24 hours, but Bella knew she was the kind of girl to ask questions. After not so subtly _flipping_ out when things started to escalate between her and Edward, she made a complete B line to her car. Alice was definitely going to wonder what the hell happened to her.

' _I almost made out with your brother who, just a couple hours earlier, we interrupted as a drunk girl tried to unzip his pants.'_ Bella thought to herself, rolling her eyes as she got out of bed and hopped in the shower.

It wasn't that she didn't _want_ to kiss Edward. The temptation was definitely there and for once, Bella wanted to give in and not care about the consequences of her actions. That is why she had to stop herself; she couldn't- no, wouldn't- get involved with a guy like Edward. Life had thrown too many curveballs her way for her to want to put herself in another potentially disappointing situation. She would be better off cutting her ties now and saving herself some heartbreak.

Bella got out of the shower, absentmindedly towel drying her hair as she looked at the unusually sunny sky. On any other day this kind of weather might have lifted her spirits, but she had no room for positivity while her mind was busy replaying the train wreck that was last night. Bella checked her phone and noted the time, she still had a good 30 minutes before she had to leave for school.

She dressed for warm weather, denim shorts paired with a t-shirt, and made her way downstairs. Charlie was sitting at the table, eating a bowl of cereal while watching the news.

"Morning," He greeted her between bites, "how was your night?"

He was surprisingly unconcerned with what time she had arrived home last night. Her aunt would've had a fit if Bella had gone out so late to someone's house without any sort of phone call or text. Guilt washed over her as she realized she never responded to her Aunt Helen's texts the other day. She promised herself she would send an update on her life in Forks before she left for school.

"It was alright; I went to Alice Cullen's house. She's really nice," Bella replied, opting to leave out the rest of the gory details.

"Nice girl. Her brothers, Edward and Emmett, are a different story though. Be careful next time you go there." His tone suddenly serious.

' _Just great.'_ Bella thought, trying not to show her disappointment.

"I didn't know Alice had brothers," She lied.

"Well, she does. Two of them, and they're all seniors like you," Charlie got up from the table and started washing his bowl. "They're all adopted, you know. Their parents, Carlisle and Esme, they're great people."

"Huh," Bella nodded, not knowing what to say.

"I better head to work, have a good day at school and keep your distance from those Cullen boys," Charlie shut the door behind him, but not before Bella heard him mutter, "if they even bother showing up to school."

' _Yeah, besides the crippling amount of sexual tension between Edward and I, it should be easy enough to keep my distance.'_ She mumbled to herself.

Bella opened up her texts while she walked to her truck;

' _Sorry for the late reply, school was tiring. I survived though.'_

' _Miss you. Call you tonight if you're up to it?'_

She didn't bother waiting for a reply and started her truck, dreading the school day before it even started.

The parking lot appeared fuller than it did yesterday, with students hanging out by their cars and on the grass. They were all probably enjoying the sunlight while they had the chance. Bella couldn't help but scan the area for Edward, relieved (and slightly disappointed) that she wasn't able to spot him anywhere.

She hopped out of the truck and made her way inside, wanting to drop some books off at her locker before class started.

"Bella!"

' _Here we go.'_ Bella sighed, still not sure what she was going to say to Alice.

"What happened to you last night?" She asked, looking hurt, then suddenly suspicious. "What did Edward do?"

"Nothing, honestly." Bella said, looking down, "he was…nice."

"Okay, then what's the deal?" Alice pushed, going back to her hurt tone, "did you not like the party?"

Bella let out a small laugh, grateful that Alice didn't ask for her to elaborate on Edward. The bell rang, warning students that classes started in just a few minutes.

"The party was great, trust me." Bella replied, giving Alice a reassuring smile as they made their way to first period English. "Next time I won't be such a bummer."

Bella was relieved that Alice seemed mostly concerned about the success of last night's party rather than what happened when she left her and Edward alone in the office. Thankful for one less thing to worry about, she attempted to focus on her classes rather than worry about a run in with Edward. Maybe he wouldn't even bother with Bella after what happened. Clearly he could have anyone he liked, why go after someone who practically ran out on him?

At lunchtime, Bella decided to eat lunch in the privacy of her truck. It was still nice out, and she figured the walk outside would do her some good. As the front doors closed behind her, she heard someone else come out of the building. Looking over her shoulder, her heart sank as she was greeted by Edward.

' _Fuck.'_ She groaned inwardly.

"Wait, Bella!" Edward called for her, picking up his pace so that he could catch up.

Bella smiled pathetically, not knowing what to say.

"Look, I didn't get to apologize last night." Edward started, "I wish I could say it wasn't like me to act that way, but I'd be lying."

"It wasn't really you," Bella offered, "It's just- I mean, I just met you. And what Alice and I walked in on…" She shrugged, not knowing how to finish her sentence.

"I know, I'm sorry. I was trying to get rid of her." he replied, taking a step closer to Bella. "Once you're here longer, you'll see how Jessica can be. We have never been involved though."

Bella bit her lip as she looked down; if she looked at him any longer she would be too tempted to give in.

"Can we start over?" Edward asked, giving Bella a hopeful smile that made her heart clench. "No alcohol this time."

She couldn't help but laugh, not knowing whether it was out of relief or embarrassment.

"I don't know, Edward."

Bella felt his fingers below her chin as he tilted her head up, his eyes locked with hers and a smile played at his lips.

"Let's ditch." He said simply.

"What?" She blurted, "it's the second day of school, I can't ditch."

"Come on," Edward pleaded, "we can go to my house. Nothing sneaky. I'll make you lunch," He smiled widely.

Bella couldn't help but laugh at his playfulness, "Fine, but if we get caught I'll kick your ass."

"Miss Swan," he gasped in mock horror, "I don't know if I'll feel safe with you alone in my house anymore."

Bella rolled her eyes, smiling playfully at Edward, "Are you going to show me to your car or no?"

"Of course," he smirked, holding out his hand and leading Bella to his car.

Naturally, they approached one of the nicest cars in the parking lot; a black Audi S5. She should've known after seeing where the Cullen's lived that they would have nice cars as well. It was still odd seeing anything even slightly extravagant in a small town like Forks.

Edward walked to the passenger side with Bella, holding the door open for her as she sat in the leather seat. Bella fastened her seatbelt as he slid in the driver's side.

"Nice car," she said approvingly.

"Thanks," he replied, his green eyes gleaming, "now are you ready for the most kick ass sandwich of your life?"

Bella couldn't help but laugh as they sped away from Forks High without a second thought.

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 **Updates should be posted within the next couple of days! Hang tight :)**

 **-Sydnie**


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